Turkish Stuffed Cabbage

Turkish Stuffed Cabbage
5 from 2 ratings
This traditional Turkish stuffed cabbage with two sauces — one tomato-based and the other yogurt-based — is perfect for a hearty meal that doesn’t leave you feeling too full. It also works well as an appetizer dish at casual get-togethers or potlucks. Click here to see Just Stuff It — 10 Stuffed Vegetable Recipes.
Servings
4
servings
Ingredients
  • 1 teaspoon unsalted butter
  • 2 tablespoon tomato paste
  • dash of dried mint
  • dash of dried oregano
  • 2 cup cold water
  • 1 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1 dried bay leaf
  • 3/4 cup turkish-style (süzme) or greek-style strained plain yogurt
  • 1 pound ground lamb
  • 16 ounce white basmati rice
  • 1 white or yellow onion, chopped finely
  • 2 tomatoes, chopped
  • 1/3 bunch dill, chopped finely
  • 1/3 bunch mint, stemmed and chopped finely
  • 1/3 bunch flat-leaf parsley, stemmed and chopped finely
  • 2 tablespoon tomato paste
  • 2 tablespoon mild red pepper paste
  • salt and pepper, to taste
  • one 3 ½-pound cabbage
  • 2 1/2 cup tomato juice
  • 2 1/2 cup water
Directions
  1. For the tomato sauce, melt the butter in a small pan or pot over low heat. Add the tomato paste, mint, and oregano and cook for about 3 minutes. Add the water, ½ teaspoon of the garlic powder, and bay leaf and bring to a boil over high heat. Cook for 10 minutes, remove from heat, and set aside.
  2. For the yogurt sauce, combine the yogurt and remaining garlic powder in a bowl and set aside.
  3. In a bowl, combine all of the ingredients and mix well. Set aside.
  4. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
  5. Bring a large pot of water to a boil over high heat. Meanwhile, peel off the individual cabbage leaves, taking care to keep them whole. When the water reaches a boil, add the cabbage. As the leaves soften, take them and fill each with 2 tablespoons of the filling. Fold the sides first and then roll to wrap.
  6. Arrange them tightly in a deep, wide pot, such as a Dutch oven, and add the tomato juice and water. Cover with a lid, place in the oven, and cook for about 2 hours. Remove from the oven and serve with the tomato and yogurt sauces.